


Searching for a Remedy

by serafina19



Category: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-29 07:11:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15067892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serafina19/pseuds/serafina19
Summary: “Maybe she wasn’t a lost cause yet.”Timeline: AU, but around mid-to-late Season 2.





	Searching for a Remedy

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure speculation, as I don’t have any comics knowledge, but it wouldn’t surprise me if elements of this happened in Season 2. The title is from Rise Against’s “The Black Market." This was inspired by this song and contains some of the song's lyrics.

The door slammed shut, the sound echoing throughout the room. There are bodies all around her and before a couple of minutes ago, they could have been allies and foes. Now, Lorna didn’t know what to believe.

She tried to stand, shifting her weight on her bad leg, hoping she could do something to prevent them from getting away. However, the pain was too much and she was forced to put her hand up to the nearest wall. As a result, her head had moved down enough to really take in the damage they left behind, a hard reminder of a life she had hoped to leave behind.

A life where currency was heartache and sorrow. Her home, the loony bin, heck, even the Underground, it felt like that. She had lost friends, too many friends and decided to make a change.

But deep down, when it came to the things that really mattered, she knew that nothing had changed.

That’s why it felt fitting that she was standing in a place where the air she breathed was stale with mold. It had nothing to do with her surroundings, as the Brotherhood’s safe houses never seemed to run cheap, but no matter how she took in her breath, it tasted wrong. That might have something to do with the fact that she was bleeding out, but Lorna had a feeling it was really due to the people who paid the price for her mistakes.

Each one was a warning, a message for her to stand down, or at least, that was what the Frosts called it before they decided to unleash their full abilities on them. While she didn’t know most of these people too well, they didn’t deserve to die because she had gotten played. It also meant that the people she trusted – Sage, Fade, even Andy Strucker – they had no idea what the Frosts were really planning and she didn’t warn them.

She could have when she had the chance, but people had settled into a better life and Lorna didn’t want to take that away until she had proof. The ambush gave her what she needed, but it was also her undoing.

Because of course they would turn on her the moment their ideals weren’t aligned. The Frosts were likely waiting for the day Lorna would wise up to the fact they weren’t partners, not even close. No, they were shadows while Lorna and the rest were slaves who dug deeper every day at the problem.

All this time, she thought she had left to accomplish more. She had left Marcos because the emptiness of their accomplishments was getting old. But the losses never stopped. Along the way, she had _caused_ some of those losses.

And now she had nothing. Her baby was across the state, Marcos was on the other side of the fight, along with most of her friends. Not to mention that her body was starting to feel heavy, so she fell to her knees.

Maybe this was something she deserved for her treatment of the Underground. Because it was always possible to rebuild, she knew that, but she didn’t think they could actually do it. Yet every time she would tell them to quit, they kept pushing harder.

They were stronger than her. They were never fooled by the Brotherhood’s objectives like she was. Even though she got some answers regarding her parentage, that didn’t excuse the casualties on both sides.

The only comforting fact was that they would always hold back against her. Just like she would hold back against them.

It hurt especially when she was faced with the prospect of fighting against Marcos a month ago. She had done everything she could to avoid it, even if it meant going up against John more times than she wanted to admit. But his disappointment she could stomach, even as John told her that it wasn’t too late to come back.

(Maybe she should have taken him up on that offer.)

Marcos was another matter. He was never great at hiding what was bothering him, so the pain was all over his face.

_“Don’t make me do this,”_ he had said, a thought that passed her mind the moment she noticed she was close to him.

She swallowed hard at the memory, just like she had in that moment, as there were no words that would change his mind, nothing he could say to get her to back down.

_“People say you’ve changed, but I know the person who recruited me, the woman I love, she’s still there,”_ he said. _"Please Lorna."_

It honestly hurt, hearing him say her name like that, but that wasn't a time to talk about things. People were fighting all around them and they had a job to do. So she cheated, using the biggest metal thing that she could find to knock him out.

Her eyes shut when he had fallen to the ground and she had moved on, helping the Brotherhood to a successful mission. After that, she knew that she couldn’t face Marcos again, but since then, each night she spent with their baby, all she could think about was that there was a piece missing. It was even worse when the Frosts took her away from Lorna with no explanation and no intention of bringing her back.

Now, all she could hope was that Marcos could find her one day. She may not always agree with him, but she’d much rather that her daughter be with her father than the stupid Cuckoos.

Staring in front of her, she picked up a bullet. It wasn’t the one that had gone right through her minutes ago, but it was still covered with blood, blood that wasn’t just hers. Some of that blood was coming closer to her, but she stayed where she was, willing to be covered in the mess she made.

For months, she had tried to wash off the blood off her hands, but since she brought that plane down, this was a part of her, wasn’t it?  

All she was searching for was a remedy to this pain, to create a reality where she could live freely and happily. It took until now to realize that, for the most part, it was right in front of her before and she had sacrificed it selfishly.

She smirked as she thought she gave Marcos hope when she recruited him, but it went both ways. His blind optimism, his morals and undying faith, they were annoying at times, but also endearing. It was something she could have used before her baby was born.

_I need you here_ , she had thought at that time. _I need you now_.

Not that she deserved Marcos anymore. The look that he gave her last time showed he still cared for her, but that didn’t seem to be enough anymore. So she had focused on what she could change, which was getting her baby back. That included deciding to trust Lauren Strucker because of her family’s desperation to reunite with Andy. Lauren had to take a beating, but she could place a tracker on Lorna, which would compromise the safe house. Unfortunately, Andy wasn’t here today due to another mission, but if nothing else, the ambush would put a dent in the Brotherhood’s resources.

However, Lorna had hoped to use the opportunity to figure out where they took her kid. Despite how powerful they were, the Frosts had a tendency of running when things got dicey and going to that facility seemed like a natural fit. Unfortunately, Lorna showed her hand too early, forcing her to do everything she could to keep them in the house. It was a long shot, but maybe the Underground could help her one last time. More importantly, regardless of whether or not she survived this, she needed to make a stand, to show them they didn’t scare her.

Words were shared, insults, threats and more thrown across the room. Then people came inside, which was Lorna’s undoing. They told Lorna they would kill anyone who came in the house until she let them leave. She called them on their bluff, which didn’t work in her favour. The third time, she tried to save the person, but that distraction allowed them to shoot her while she wasn’t looking.

Lorna hated that she had opened herself up like that, but there was no rewind button to make up for that mistake. As she stumbled, she went to defend herself, but the Frosts were already focused on her and their powers were too strong for her to push through. When the dust settled, they started lecturing her one at a time.

_“This is disappointing, really.”_

_“I mean, we gave you everything and this is the thanks we get?”_

That technically wasn’t wrong, but it was a smokescreen to cover the things that truly mattered. Lorna wanted to get up, but with one quirk of the eyebrow, they kept her at bay. She wanted to look behind her, wondering what was taking everyone so long, but she knew she couldn’t take that chance.

_“But what exactly was your plan? Did you expect to stop us, or for us to grovel because you defied us?”_

_“Because if you thought we still needed you, then you’re sorely mistaken. We thought we made that clear.”_

_“Don’t get us wrong, you were helpful, so it’s disappointing that at the end of the day, you’re just Daddy’s little screw-up.”_

It was truly amazing how quickly the narrative changed today. For months, she was the prodigal daughter. Welcomed back with open arms.

_“So we’re going to go before this place burns to the ground. We’ll leave you with the people you stabbed in the back.”_

And the pièce de résistance to that stupid habit, the final line in unison.

“ _Best of luck convincing them that you’re worth anything.”_

When the doors had closed, Lorna could move again, likely because the Frosts knew that she wasn’t much of a threat anymore. As much as she wanted to stop this, she was exhausted and she couldn’t keep up with a car. She could barely put weight on her leg anymore, so she lowered her head to rest on the floor. The blood started to coat her hair, but she didn’t care because she could feel herself fading and she was ready to accept her fate. This was what she thought she deserved, even as she noticed the purple sparks in the air.

Heavy footsteps approached her, so she smirked. “Don’t waste your time on me. They went out back. Although if you want to tell me _I told you so_ , you might as well get it out of the way.”

“Save your voice,” a welcome voice told her. “You’re not dying on my watch.”

John picked her up with ease, catching her eyes and giving her a grin, likely hoping to find the friend he thought he had lost. It was almost enough for Lorna to forget all the crappy things she had put them through, so she managed to grin back before Clarice spoke up.

“This reunion is great and all, but I can’t hold this forever and we’ve got to move.”

John nodded. “Let’s bring you home.”

She was covered in blood. She was in pain. She had lost her baby. She had betrayed most of her friends.

But her friends still believed in her. The pain had a chance of subsiding and she could continue to fight to get her baby home. From the sounds of things, there was still a chance to have a family with Marcos.

Maybe she wasn’t a lost cause yet.

**~0~**

It was hard to say what happened after going through the portal. Lorna vaguely remembered seeing the new hideout, but it was mostly a blur after that. At one point, Caitlin was pretty clear standing over her. Of course, that could just be the guilt she felt over taking her son from her.

Minutes, maybe hours had passed before she opened her eyes and started to really believe she’d live through this. Then she saw him.

He hadn’t seen her yet, but it meant everything to her that Marcos was standing in the room, pacing. It was a particularly cute habit of his, but it felt like nothing compared to the way he stuttered to a stop upon noticing she was awake.

His body turned to face her and he smiled. A hesitant one, but one she’d gladly take. “Hey,” he said, his voice cracking and she could barely see that his eyes were watering.

There was so much she wanted to say and sorry wouldn’t begin to cover it. She tried to say the greeting back, but she couldn’t do it. Her throat went dry, so she dipped her head, trying to keep her emotions in check. After a deep breath, she felt her voice come back, so she said the only thing she could.

“Did they get away?”

“Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat before he walked over to the side of the bed, taking a knee close to the edge. “But we’ll get them next time.”

She let herself smile for a moment, because after everything she had gone through, Marcos’ optimism was especially welcome. Months ago, that optimism seemed like naivety, but time after time, loss after loss, the Underground found a way to survive. He found a way to keep moving despite what she had done.

“Yeah you will,” she said softly, just barely catching his eyes, feeling a familiar pang in her chest. She had dreamed about this moment for months, but in those cases, she was allowed to avoid reality. Here, it was different. The betrayal was still there, so they couldn't exactly pick things up where they left off.

“Hey Lorna,” he said, catching her attention. His eyes were focused on the floor, but she caught the way his lips stretched to a grin before looking up at her. There was something to this stare that threw her until he spoke. “ _We_ will make them pay for what they’ve done.”

 She blinked a couple of times, stunned that he could say that so easily. “Marcos –”

“You are coming back to the Underground, aren’t you?” He said the words, but Lorna knew that Marcos was talking about more than the Underground, so she responded in a similar nature.

“Is that an option?”

 Marcos shifted his body to sit on the bed. “I told you I’d never give up on you, especially now.”  As his fingers landed near hers, Lorna wanted nothing more than to grab his hand and never let go again, but it was too soon for that, so she looked back up at him. “You could have taken it a little easier on Lauren though.”

He probably wasn’t wrong, especially since medical supplies had to be hard to track down right now. She didn’t even want to know the drain she was causing on their resources. But there was one thing about Lauren Strucker that brought her a bit of peace. “She’s tougher than you think.”

After all, it took an incredibly strong person to go along with her crazy plan. It was a price they had to pay. Although getting Andy back wasn’t going to be easy, the Frosts had their claws in the kid, this was a good step and it helped even the score when it came to destroyed safe houses.

Still, it was nice to hear Marcos give a chuckle in response, moving his fingers closer. It was such a small thing, but after everything she had experienced, considering how much she missed him, Lorna allowed the first tear to fall. “How did you do it?”

“What?”

“Believe in me after everything I did to you, to the Underground,” she said, knowing the answer deep down based on who Marcos was. However, she had seen John starting to crack, the goodwill with the group that she had built fading.

But his expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, his eyes square on her. “We all lose our way. You pulled me out once, remember? Somehow, no matter what I did, you would see something good in me.”

“Yeah, but…”

He hadn’t violated their trust, fractured the Underground, hurt people that they both cared about, caused their daughter to be taken from them. He didn’t change everything by taking down that plane months ago.

Yet of all the things that she had done, she didn’t regret taking down that plane. Still, that memory made her breathing heavier, as she wondered how she had let herself believe that she could just walk back in this door considering the fact that they still saw the world differently.

“Lorna, look at me,” he said. When she did, she noticed that his face was tense and she could see that things weren’t easy for him, but there was love in his eyes.

“The losses were tough on a lot of us and I imagine that the pregnancy didn’t make things easy. But I knew why you started the Underground with John, what you really believed. You just had to remember that.” 

He shrugged a shoulder, letting the smallest of grins show. “Besides, for someone who claimed to be our enemy, you held back against everyone except John.”

Lorna dipped her head, lifting her hand to weave it through her hair. “Remind me to apologize to him about that.”

“He understands, trust me.” Marcos turned his head towards the door, which was cracked slightly. “It was worth it to hear Lauren say that this was your plan, that this wasn’t a trap because of what happened to our kid. It gave me hope that I didn’t think I’d know anymore.”

Once he moved his head back to look at her, Lorna felt that pain intensify, knowing that she had intentionally separated her daughter from her father. Separated her from probably the best person she knew.

“It turned out that she was what they wanted. They probably took her away because they knew I wouldn’t accept what they were doing anymore.” As much as she wanted to believe that she was being sneaky, the Frosts were still telepaths, so they were probably waiting for the strike, wondering if Lorna could follow through with what she had planned. However, for her, turning back was never an option. “I thought if I could bring her home, maybe I could make up for what I did. Because I’m sorry Marcos.”

“I know,” he said, letting his smile linger this time. It was something that Lorna was intent on enjoying as long as she could. “Lauren also mentioned that you were willing to die if it meant we could stop the Frosts. No matter what you did, I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t accept the idea that I wouldn’t see you again, so when I heard that John had brought you back, I…” 

He had closed his eyes and in those moments, she started to see the pain again. Before she could stop herself, she stretched her hand forward, touching their fingertips together. When that contact happened, she immediately regretted it, but as she started to move it back, Marcos took her hand and held it tight.

As his thumb moved across the back of her hand, he said, “What matters is we’re together…we fight for each other, take care of other.”

Her eyes narrowed, ignoring the innocence of the last time those words were spoken, but focusing on the words themselves. “Just like that?”

“Not exactly, if I'm being honest,” he replied, which was a bit of relief to her. “We have to talk about some stuff moving forward. We need to re-find our footing as a team, but I mean what I said now as much as you meant it back then. And I sure as hell mean that I will fight for our family.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, not even sure that he heard her, but was reassured as he squeezed her hand one last time.

“We’ll figure this out, but right now, you need to rest.”  

She watched him get up from the bed, felt a familiar pang and realized that she really didn’t want to be alone right now. “Rest sounds like a great idea, but can you stay with me for a bit?”

Lorna was testing her luck right now, she knew that. She was being incredibly selfish, but she had to ask. She needed to know that there was still hope there for them, even with what he said, what they both knew. So when he grinned again, she felt her chest warm.

“Sure.”

He just returned to where he was sitting on the bed, taking her hand once more, but it was enough. It was hope. “I missed you,” she said, making sure that this time he heard it.

Her eyes flickered up in time to see the hope in his eyes too, just before he replied, “Me too.”

 

**~End~**


End file.
